First post to Expedition portal ... and I LOVE 4X4 vans!

[laz 1]

I retired a few years ago and hoped to spend my "Golden Years" wandering down the roads less travelled in a 4X4 camper van ...
aka OVERLANDING ...
FOREVER!

I have not made the transition to full time Overlander yet …
but I keep nibbling at it.
(;{)
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I have decades of experience bouncing around back roads in camper vans. I started out as a teenager in a VW van where I discovered that VW vans WILL FLOAT ... at least for long enough to cross narrow streams. I liked my last VW van, a 1981, so much that when the body got too rusty, I cut out the back behind the cab and built a motorhome type box for it with bed, kitchen, and lots of storage. My first overland capable MICRO motorhome. With an upgraded 1600 Dual port motor, and wide gnarly tires on the back, this rig went nearly anywhere any sane person could want. And some places a not so sane person might be tempted into.

BUT it went slow. Top speed on the flatlands was a bit over 100 KPH. And once I moved to BC, Canada, where there be mountains, I eventually got tired of rowing the VW up the hills using the shift lever and 3rd ... 2nd ... 1st gear.

So I reluctantly sold my VW van and got into a BIG 4x4 van conversion. "MOBY", the great white whale, was an ex-BC Forest Products DODGE MAXI VAN/AMBULANCE, set up to race down remote logging roads and rescue damaged loggers. With about 8" of lift on the SOLID Dana 44F front axle, coil springs for the front suspension, and a massively tall raised roof, it was truly IMMENSE. The 360 motor and the drum brakes [ and your level of courage/and or insanity ] were the limiting factors for this massive whale. Not to mention the WEIGHT!!! It was great on logging roads at speed ... the coil front suspension was much smoother than most of the leaf spring van conversions I have tried ... but this whale was too large and too heavy for genuine off roading in BC terrain.

And the one time I got it stuck up to the bumpers in gumbo, the winching out was EPIC ... and so was the tow truck bill. So I sold MOBY back to a logging contractor who turned it back into another LOGGING COMPANY ambulance.

Next up was the TOYOTA LE 4X4 van. These were wonderful little [ as in very TINY ] TOY vans that could be set up with 27/8.50/R14 Mud terrain tires on the original rims, and a few quick and dirty suspension mods, and could go almost anywhere. The limiting factor with these vans was the elongated snout that shortened approach angle. BUT, once again, I discovered that a 4X4 Toyota van WILL FLOAT, at least across a narrow stream, and that the M/T tires on the front WILL claw their way up a muddy bank. I loved these 4X4 TOY vans, when there was just me and my dog rambling around. But once I got married, the limited space inside of the TOY VAN got uncomfortable when the wife and our two dogs came along for anything more than a weekend ... especially any WET weekend. So I traded my TOY VAN off for another full sized 4X4 van conversion.

The "BLUE BOX" was a PATHFINDER 4X4 converted FORD 12 passenger deluxe van, originally set up to haul skiers up and down a remote slope. Unlike with solid front axle van conversions, the PATHFINDER conversion used the FORD "twin beam/Scissors Truss" INDEPENDENT front axle with coils. No lift was required for this axle to clear the oil pan and the IFS was amazingly stable at speed on rough roads. I kept this van for years, but eventually the body got too rusty ... so I did my second OVERLAND Motorhome conversion. The box I built on the back was much bigger than my VW build, and this one had a cabover. But lifestyle changes required I downsize and sell off my big BLUE BOX.

Next came a Mazda MPV 4WD van. Great as a daily driver around town and even a bit of light off roading. With a locking central differential, the MPV 4WD was amazingly good in mud and snow. Smaller, lighter, and MUCH nicer in the rough than a FULL sized 4X4 Van conversion. But a bit too small for COMFORTABLE long term overlanding.
So once I retired, I got rid of the Mazda MPV 4WD van and finally ended up with what to me is the perfect sized overland van. BIG enough to carry everything I need for comfortable long term overlanding, yet still light and nimble enough for some off roading.

My last vans have been GMC/Chev SAFARI/ASTRO vans, two of them AWD and one 2WD. The 2WD Safari is my daily driver, and has been camperised for a great weekend rig. But once again, for long term travel with two people and a BIG dog, I find any van a bit too tight. So my third Safari, a 2000 AWD has once again met up with the metal cutting blade of a skill saw, and been cut off at the back for a MICRO Motorhome type rig.

There was actually a factory built Safar/Astro MICRO MOTORHOME, the TIGER, available in 2WD and AWD. TIGER stopped production in 2005 when the Safari/Astro vans were discontinued. My homebuilt version is a bit sturdier [ all glued and screwed construction] and not quite as sophisticated. And it still needs the interior built up and finished. But finally I have what I was looking for …. an AWD overlanding capable Micro motorhome.
Maybe soon I will actually get to break loose from reality, and go overlanding …
Forever.

 

[Victorian]

Welcome to ExPo! Where on the Island are you?

 

[laz 1]

Nanaimo ... and Victoria ... and Duncan.
(;{)

PS: trying to figure out how to post some pics of my AWD MICRO Motorhome/Van

 

[laz 1]

Pictures .. or it didn't happen

 

[laz 1]

98 AWD Safari Gulf Island hopping with BIG & small tents

 

[Flagster]

Would love to see any pics of your old yota 4x4...I had an 87 2wd in high school and I still miss that old van...

 

[laz 1]

The TOY VAN is Long gone and no pics.
These were incredible little vans once you put on the 27/850/R14 MUD TERRAIN tires, and cranked up the front torsion bars to near max.

Once the wider tires were on, the TOY VANS handled immensely better. No more wandering almost off the road whenever a semi went by the other way.


My 1988 LE 5 spd would top out [ eventually ] at 100 MPH on the hiway, if I was crazy and patient enough to take the time to push it up there. And in 4 LOW, it would go up and down and through some pretty tight technical stuff ... as long as you didn't hang the front snout up on anything.

You can still get these vans, in a Right Hand Drive version, straight out of the Japanese car auction sites.

PS: My brother has a 91 PREVIA that has been to Mexico 8 times in the last decade. He and his wife spent about two months there every summer and slept in the van whenever a clean cheap hotel was not immediately available. That van has 540,000 Kms on it and still runs great. Only significant mechanical work done to it, besides regular maintenance, was replacing a front wheel bearing in Mexico.
Now that is reliability.

 

[ert01]

Nice to see more Astro/Safari love on here!

My uncle is from Chemainus! If you've ever gone to the farmers market in Duncan, you've probably had some of his baking.

 

[martell06]

Love the DIY Tiger. Definitely blazing a new trail there. Welcome!

 

[laz 1]

Back on the road with my DIY Safari AWD MICRO Motorhome

My 1999 AWD SAFARI MIcro Motorhome is back on the road,
legally inspected, BC certified, and registered.

I still have some final exterior trim work, basically gonna redo the bottom 1/3 in Black RUBBER 1/8" THICK checker plate material, and build the heavy duty bumpers, with front and rear 2" receivers for the removable winch.

Still need to do the interior.
Still need to replace the sagged out rear springs with 4" lift / HD models, then level the front with the torsion bars to match the rear, and a wheel alignment.

Final tid bits discovered this week driving around town:
because the van has been off the road, sitting idle for over a year while I did the camper body, I just filled the tank with fresh fuel and some cleaning additives, changed the oil and did an electrical tune up ... NEW wires, plugs, cap & rotor. Spent a half hour under the van while it was up on the hoist, checking for any possible problems that might show up. The underside/front suspension/drive train is in surprisingly good condition. Gonna do a trans flush, lube all the diffs and transfer, etc.

After a few short shake down cruises here on Vancouver Island, If things go well, I plan to head SOUTH to Arizona next month, for the OVERLAND EXPO near Flagstaff, May 22, and possibly wander around down South after that. I would like to be back in BC for the Horizon's Unlimited CAN WEST meet in Nakusp, BC, Aug 25 - 28.

I used to do most of my recent overlanding/adventure touring on various big adventure motorcycles, and before that, in good Ol' VW vans. But now, at an age where I am not quite as nimble as I used to be, and where a 4" thick memory foam mattress is an essential rather than a luxury, I prefer to wander around the roads less travelled in an AWD motorhome. Small enough to get into most places, and big enough to live in for months at a time.

NOW FINALLY,
I have an AWD micro motorhome that will take me most anywhere, with comfort, style, and safety.
(;-{)
LAZ 1

 

[derjack]

My 1999 AWD SAFARI MIcro Motorhome is back on the road,
legally inspected, BC certified, and registered.

I still have some final exterior trim work, basically gonna redo the bottom 1/3 in Black RUBBER 1/8" THICK checker plate material, and build the heavy duty bumpers, with front and rear 2" receivers for the removable winch.

Still need to do the interior.
Still need to replace the sagged out rear springs with 4" lift / HD models, then level the front with the torsion bars to match the rear, and a wheel alignment.

Final tid bits discovered this week driving around town:
because the van has been off the road, sitting idle for over a year while I did the camper body, I just filled the tank with fresh fuel and some cleaning additives, changed the oil and did an electrical tune up ... NEW wires, plugs, cap & rotor. Spent a half hour under the van while it was up on the hoist, checking for any possible problems that might show up. The underside/front suspension/drive train is in surprisingly good condition. Gonna do a trans flush, lube all the diffs and transfer, etc.

After a few short shake down cruises here on Vancouver Island, If things go well, I plan to head SOUTH to Arizona next month, for the OVERLAND EXPO near Flagstaff, May 22, and possibly wander around down South after that. I would like to be back in BC for the Horizon's Unlimited CAN WEST meet in Nakusp, BC, Aug 25 - 28.

I used to do most of my recent overlanding/adventure touring on various big adventure motorcycles, and before that, in good Ol' VW vans. But now, at an age where I am not quite as nimble as I used to be, and where a 4" thick memory foam mattress is an essential rather than a luxury, I prefer to wander around the roads less travelled in an AWD motorhome. Small enough to get into most places, and big enough to live in for months at a time.

NOW FINALLY,
I have an AWD micro motorhome that will take me most anywhere, with comfort, style, and safety.
(;-{)
LAZ 1

Wow, it's Street legal in Canada to build "something" out of normal wood onto the back of a truck :Wow1:
In good old Germany one would be taken the car off the street!

 

[laz 1]

Wow, it's Street legal in Canada to build "something" out of normal wood onto the back of a truck
This is why I was required to have it inspected and certified by a BC Provincial govt authorised inspection facility before I could put it back on the road after my camper body conversion.

Realistically, the vast majority of commercially built class C motorhomes are exactly this ...
a wood box built on the back of a van. Same goes for many older CUBE cargo vans, although newer cube boxes are MODULAR, bolt on rather than built on, made of steel or aluminum.

Most older motorhomes are much less sturdy than my build, which uses screws and glue instead of staples., and which was designed specifically for "the road less travelled". I chose an AWD Safari van chassis, which is rated for 1500 lbs carrying capacity, and beefed up the suspension and fitted bigger wheels and tires. The steel I removed weighs approximately the same as the bigger wood box I replaced it with. My wood camper body is RIGID, with MASSIVE internal framing [ 2x6 and 2x12 ]. this is the third motorhome I have built on a van, and I have experience building many camper van conversions. A private individual can often do a better job than any commercial builder, sacrificing time instead of $$$. This is called "SWEAT EQUITY". My motorhome was quite inexpensive to build, if you consider only the cost of materials. but IF I was paid for my time, sweat, and labor, it would have cost much more.
-{)

 

[Bikersmurf]

Cool build. Looking forward to seeing more of your build. I've got an Ambo that I'm eventually going to turn into a camper to at least some degree.

 

[laz 1]

One of my previous "Overland " rigs was a DODGE MAXI VAN 4X4 AMBULANCE. I loved it for a while but found it TOO BIG for the tight terrain here in BC. Also had a PATHFINDER 4WD Conversion Ford E350 EXTENDED 12 PASSENGER van that I cut the back off and built on a big box camper body. Again, that rig was too big for my style of overlanding. The AWD SAFARI MICRO motorhome I have now is just the right size for my current requirements .... single guy with a dog.

But if I ever get another human female travel partner, things will probably change and the required space would get BIGGER and more "refined" ... like adding a real bathroom with HOT water.
Then I might look at another FORD 4X4 E-350 VAN build. The extra 4 feet in length for one of the full size extended vans VS my shorty short safari, makes a BIG difference in usable living space, but also makes a BIG difference in high center issues.

I really liked the PATHFINDER 4X4 E-350 van CONVERSION, as it had FORD INDEPENDENT TWIN BEAM AXLES under COIL springs. The ride with the coils and IFS was much nicer than the leaf spring conversions I drove, and no massive amounts of lift were required to get a straight axle to clear the oil pan. Very viable rig on the highway and on logging roads, and it would push snow higher than the front bumper, but it was a real pig in any tight / off road scenarios. TOO LONG, and TOO HEAVY for my style of ride.

 

[Treenail]

Hi Laz

Wonderful creation!

I owned a '97 GMC AWD until it got sideswiped and totaled

What are the inside dimensions...length, width and height?

I've thought of doing the same on an AWD chassis like you or chop off an E350 long wheel base to build up

Tom